1. Field of Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to needle bending, and more particularly to apparatus and methods of forming one or more bends in a hypodermic needle.
2. Description of Related Art
Hypodermic needles having one or more strategically-placed bends have advantages over straight needles in many medical applications. For example, dialysis patents undergo many hours of treatment each week in which a needle is inserted into one arm and taped down to the skin to prevent dislodgement. In this arrangement, a straight needle can press against the tissue beneath the skin in a manner that may be uncomfortable to the patent. To improve comfort, the needle may be bent so as to lie against the arm after it is inserted. The location and angle of the bend may vary according to the application and the size of the needle.
One conventional technique for bending hypodermic needles includes manually bending the needle using a forming tool. However, this technique is imprecise, slow and inefficient, and also introduces the possibility of inadvertently crushing the lumen or otherwise damaging the needle as a result of excessive force or improper use of the tool. It can also be difficult, if not impossible, to form multiple bends in the needle using the tool, especially where the bends are to be formed at different angles or in different directions away from the length-wise axis of the unbent needle. Furthermore, manual needle bending techniques are not suited for mass production of bent needles. Other semi-automated bending techniques have been developed but still do not provide the ability to precisely form one or more bends in a repeatable and efficient manner.